3 ms·
As a Buddhist I find myself meditating on a related question: When is the personal self born? It clearly does not exist at birth, and then some point, after we
by linuxhansl 3y ago
As a Buddhist I find myself meditating on a related question: When is the personal self born?
It clearly does not exist at birth, and then some point, after we learn language, that voice of the ego develops. The ego that constantly chatters and is everywhere in past, the future, somewhere else, and never here and now.
For most people that ego goes unnoticed, until they look or listen for it.
Upon reflection the ego (and the self) is quite obviously an illusion, yet, this constant chatter, the constant fear, anxiety, anger, remorse, from living in the past or future is source of so much violence among human beings.
Maybe this is off-topic but I feel that the "take what I want" attitude has is source in the unnoticed ego illusion.
- robg 3y agoHow can we say it doesn’t exist at birth? The newborn has wants and needs and can recognize their mother’s voice. The need to be fed and comforted soon follows. Chest on chest time is now recognized as critical to human attachment in the days and weeks after birth. Isn’t the ego just building on those basic needs to be satiated and loved?
- linuxhansl 3y agoSure. And it has the wants and needs now, instead of worrying about the wants and needs next week, or feeling regret over past wants and needs not being met.